The opening and individual separation of fibers

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is of the opening and individual separation of textile fibres or the like, characterised in that a strip or cable fixed at its two ends to supports is actuated by an impulse member imparting oscillations to the strip or cable to strike the fibres.

United States Patent [191 Rudloff [451 Nov. 19, 1974 THE OPENING AND INDIVIDUAL SEPARATION OF FIBERS I A "i 5 3,353,226 11/1967 Whitehurst ..19/200 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,018,014 l/l966 Great Britain 19/236 1,203,414 8/1970 Great Britain 19/106 R Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Young and Thompson [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure is of the opening and individual separation of textile fibres or the like, characterised in that a strip or cable fixed at its two ends to supports is actuated by an impulse member imparting oscillations to the strip or cable to strike the fibres.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures THE OPENING AND INDIVIDUAL SEPARATION OF FIBERS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the progressive opening and the individual separation of textile fibres of all sorts and kinds.

In the numerous actually known devices, certain of which permit the obtaining of a sufficient separation of the fibres with a view to their mechanical spinning continuously on conventional spinning machines, there are also others in the form of defibering elements or apparatus restricted to the disintegration of the fibrous assemblages whilst simultaneously cleaning the flocks whilst removing all the foreign bodies, the fibres being sujected during their opening to the actions of more or less volient shocks and due to this the fibres are damaged, more frequently by rupture under the effect of very strong tensions or excessive beatings.

On the other hand, it is established that, even during carding or combing, the desired individual separation of the fibres is not obtained by the means and devices actually put into use.

In order to mitigate these disadvantages the invention has as its object the individual separation of the fibres whilst preserving the same, however fragile they may be.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the opening of the fibrous masses and the individual separation of the fibres is obtained progressively under the effect of the oscillation of a strip or of a cable of metal, of plastics material, of rubber, or of any other material bearing without fatigue the oscillations and vibrations of high frequency.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION Contrary to the known opening devices in which the fibres are kept together during their separation, the compact fibrous mass treated with the device according to the invention is placed into contact with the oscillating strip, by which it is shaken and progressively disintegrated until the fibres are totally separated and then removed individually. This opening does not produce any rupture of the fibres nor any alteration or fatigue of the same. On the contrary, under the'effect of the high frequency vibrations, the fibres regain their initial condition as prior to the placing into compressed bales.

By virtue of the device of the invention there is obtained simultaneously with the opening of the fibres a perfect cleaning of the same due to the fact that all foreign bodies, such as husks, grains, dust, etc, contained within the mass of fibres are eliminated by gravity.

The following description relates to a form of embodiment of the device of the invention, given by way of non-limitative example and explained with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS IN THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the device of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view.

EMBODIMENTS As represented in the annexed drawing, the device for opening and individual separation of fibres, according to the present invention, is constituted chiefly by a strip or cable 1 fixed at its two extremities to supports 2 and 3, and by a wheel 4 or any other member suitable for the purpose to provide a cam 4' or provided with such a cam, on the extremity of which is mounted a roller 5.

The fixing of the cable 1 at its two extremities may be effected with the intermediary of elastic means, such as the springs 6.

The functioning of the device thus described is as follows: during the rotation of the wheel 4, by means of a motor or of any other driving member, the cam 4' pushes the strip 1 downwards into the tangled fibres F, which are supported on the supporting surface S which retains a mass of fibers beneath the strip 1. In consequence the strip is deflected and put under tension by the roller 5. At the moment when the latter releases the strip 1 this latter returns into its initial position while passing through a multiplicity of oscillations which remain within the vibratory field comprised between A and B. Due to the oscillations of the strip 1 in the mass of the fibres F, and to the continued repetition of the vibrations the fibres are progressively disengaged and are separated each one from the others in order to be projected, individually, out of the vibratory field whence they are sucked away and transported, for example by pneumatic conveyance P, by means of a known arrangement.

Moreover, the device according to the present invention permits the opening and individual separation of fibres of all lengths, even mixed, without necessitating preliminary adjustment of the components.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the described manner of construction, but it includes all the variations without departing from its scope of protection. Thus, for example, the strip 1 which instigates the opening and the individual separation of the fibres can be actuated by any other means capable of transmitting oscillations to it.

The device of the invention may be utilised more particularly in all the types of preparatory treatment in the field of filaments of cotton, of wool, of jute, or of all the synthetic or artificial fibres cut and employed in spinning or carding or combing or in carding-spinning. Among others, it is equally applicable in the preparation of all sorts and kinds of fibres of any nature in the field of non-woven materials.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for the separation of textile fibres and the like from a bale or mass of said fibres, comprising an elongated horizontally disposed member, means mounting said member at its ends for oscillatory movement up and down means retaining a said bale or mass of said fibres beneath said member, impulse means to impart oscillations to said member to cause said member to strikethe fibres of said bale or mass thereby to separate the fibres of said bale or mass, and means to remove from the vicinity of the bale or mass fibres thus separated therefrom.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, said removing means comprising pneumatic conveyance means by which fibres are removed upwardly from said mass.

comprising a rotating member that strikes said solid member once each rotation of said rotating member, said solid member oscillating between said rotations of said rotary member. 

1. In a device for the separation of textile fibres and the like from a bale or mass of said fibres, comprising an elongated horizontally disposed member, means mounting said member at its ends for oscillatory movement up and down means retaining a said bale or mass of said fibres beneath said member, impulse means to impart oscillations to said member to cause said member to strike the fibres of said bale or mass thereby to separate the fibres of said bale or mass, and means to remove from the vicinity of the bale or mass fibres thus separated therefrom.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, said removing means comprising pneumatic conveyance means by which fibres are removed upwardly from said mass.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, said elongated member comprising a solid member, and springs at the ends of said solid member by which said solid member is supported for oscillation.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3, said impulse means comprising a rotating member that strikes said solid member once each rotation of said rotating member, said solid member oscillating between said rotations of said rotary member. 